President Donald Trump said Sunday that the United States will begin an effort Monday morning to guide ships stranded in the Strait of Hormuz out of restricted waters, calling the operation a “humanitarian gesture” for neutral countries caught in the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran.
Trump Offers Few Details On Ship Operation
Trump gave few details about the plan, which he said would help ships and crews that have been “locked up” in the strait and are running low on food, water and other supplies as Iran blocks passage through the critical waterway.
“We have told these Countries that we will guide their Ships safely out of these restricted Waterways, so that they can freely and ably get on with their business,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. He warned that any interference with the operation would “have to be dealt with forcefully.”
CENTCOM Says Project Freedom Will Begin
Iran has blocked nearly all Gulf shipping except its own for more than two months. The United States imposed its own blockade on Iranian ports last month. It was not immediately clear which countries the U.S. operation would assist or how the plan would be carried out.
Following Trump’s social media post, the U.S. Central Command said it would support “Project Freedom” starting Monday, “to restore freedom of navigation for commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz,” though it did not specify what that would mean operationally.
The Associated Press reported that ships and seafarers, many aboard oil, gas and cargo vessels, have been stuck in the Persian Gulf since the war began. Crew members described watching intercepted drones and missiles explode over the waters while supplies dwindled.
Oil Eases But Peace Deal Remains Elusive
Iran’s state-run IRNA called Trump’s announcement part of his “delirium,” while Ebrahim Azizi, head of Iran’s parliamentary national security commission, warned in a post on X late on Sunday that interference in the strait would violate the ceasefire.
Oil prices eased after Trump’s announcement, though the lack of a peace deal kept crude above $100. Brent crude futures fell 0.25% to $107.90 a barrel, while the U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) slipped 0.26% to $101.67.
Trump spoke hours after Iran said it was reviewing the U.S. response to its latest proposal and insisted the talks were not nuclear negotiations. The fragile three-week ceasefire appears to be holding, while the U.S. blockade that began April 13 continues to deprive Tehran of oil revenue. U.S. Central Command said on Sunday that 49 commercial ships had been told to turn back.
Photo courtesy: Shutterstock
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